Chapter 242
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Chapter 242
At the peak of the mountain, Elder Rana had switched away from concentrating on the concealing formation to the fortifying barrier around Grand Elder Vandale and the area around that where a different battle was happening.
While the Order would have dearly liked to have every Life Transformation expert available when provoking an enemy of indeterminate power, to properly pull off the deception they had to have some of them very publicly make appearances. That also included being far enough for the Twin Soul Sect to be comfortable that they wouldnt be around, and indeed they werent even rushing back.
With that said, Grand Elders Fodor, Zajoc, and Kseniya were present along with about half of the other Life Transformation members. The exact number of them around was never publicly available, but they had once had twenty. With some deaths at Black Soul Valley and some advancements due to recent events, they were at eighteen. Half had stayed while half had gone but more than that portion of Essence Collection cultivators stayed since they would be less carefully counted.
Their assistance in the battle was not strictly necessary for a victory, but with the reckless abandon of the assaulting cultivators, any additional firepower was a boon.
Kseniya clicked her tongue as she rained arrows on the fanatics. She could appreciate devotion to a good cause, but such overzealousness for a cause that only led to a net decrease in the status of the world was anything but. Everyone was equally motivated as them to defend the Order, though Kseniya hoped that their willingness to die wouldnt lead into the actuality of it. At least, not more than they had to.
A few brave Essence Collection cultivators had already died. Even the practical side of Elder Kseniya wasnt willing to say it was better that they perished than her. Any one of them could have grown to the same power as her, and she just happened to be older and more experienced than most. The emotional side of her was burning with fury and the practical side guided that fury to take advantage of every opening made by sacrifices, intentional or not.
She kept herself focused on the battle at hand, despite knowing her best disciple was just a short way to the south. She could glance over there and fire a few shots, sway the tide of battle. But every arrow was required where she was. A moment of distraction would allow her to fall deeper under the sway of illusion, instead of carefully tracking the real movements of her opponents.
Even when she lost track, she was building a prediction of how they would fight. A less practiced cultivator could easily fall into the trap of thinking they could predict their opponents, but Kseniya knew she could. And it was ever so easy to make slight adjustments to her shots at point blank range. Of course, the range she considered point blank was hundreds of meters, the outside of which was further than many cultivators' maximum ranges. But compared to Horizon Shot, everything else was like walking up to a target with her bow and stabbing it with an arrow.
One of the enemy Life Transformation cultivators was quite annoying. Cased from head to toe in armor that seemed extremely durable even in the normal weak points they took attacks with impunity. The armor was their weapon as well, so it was difficult to tell if they were planning to attack. Spikes stuck out at all angles, and they were quite capable of concealing exactly how much energy they concentrated at any one point. They could prepare to absorb an attack or stab a spike into someone with little indication of either.
Im going to move out, Velvet said. The others should be able to hold people off. If you have to let the formation drop, now is the time. Velvet didnt wait for more than a nod of acknowledgement before she disappeared. She could stand around for someone to approach, but she preferred a more proactive style. People got especially careless when they thought they were safe.
With that thought in her head, Velvet paused atop the walls, looking down into the many enemies below forcing their way into the compound. She took a few moments to check her thoughts. She knew the Twin Soul Sect projected illusions, and that they could do it for many people. The question was if they had to know someone was there. Then she nodded. She felt something. A tingling of difference. Certainly weaker than what would be affecting others, but enough to distort her perception enough. Less than half a step in any direction, but it would be the difference between a clean slash to the throat and a small nick or even a complete miss. The same was true for defensive actions in the other direction.
The other disciple seemed to be fighting their way through it, but they could use some help. Velvet couldnt just yell some encouraging words and break them out, but she could look for the key figures. Someone had to be the main point of the illusions. There were two possibilities. It might be the obvious one, the man standing in the middle protected by everyone. Or it could be the woman on the right end of the pack who didnt seem to be doing anything.
Ultimately Velvets decision was dictated not by surety, but by practicality. She wasnt confident in placing herself in the middle of a crowd of enemies. Even so, she thought it was slightly more likely that the less obvious target was correct. Unless it was a trick, but if she was going to consider psychology like that it might not be a trick but they could want her to think that. So she didnt waste more time thinking, and just decided to act.
She slipped down the wall slowly, hoping nobody would feel the disturbances her movements caused. It was impossible for a normal human to sense anything, and her presence was erased to the best of her abilities- but she was going up against experienced cultivators. Even if her Essence empowered her stealth, she had barely begun to mold it into shape, to let it grow. Knowing she was an up-and-coming genius could cause her to be cocky but instead she thought about Anton.
If she couldnt even surpass an admittedly exceptional grandpa, then she still had a lot to learn. But on the other hand, hed helped her develop her skills, and she would use them to their utmost.
Not a pebble or a blade of grass moved as Velvet slunk along the ground towards the side of the battle. As she approached she became ever more sure of her targets connection to the illusion as a whole. Perhaps her death wouldnt tear it apart, but it would take a moment or two for it to be brought back into place if she was taken out. A battlefield wide opening was something that had to be aimed for at all costs.
Velvet held her twin daggers. Even after all of Spirit Building she hadnt found weapons that were their equals, not that was being sold anyway. In Everhearts Tomb- on the moon- shed seen some daggers she would have liked to get ahold of, but they were in the hands of Life Transformation cultivators. Now that she was used to their asymmetry, Velvet would regret when she had to give them up.
But that time was still far away. For the moment, they were still quite functional. Velvet reached her target and her arms slashed across her chest, scissoring the blades together. She might not have the power to lop off someones head, but if she could damage either the throat or the spinal cord it was just as good. For a moment she saw no blood, as if she had completely missed. Then the illusion cracked and she knew she had aimed close enough to the real location. Her right dagger had actually struck her opponents chin, but there was a slash into the neck and bone from her left. Her blades had already been moving for a follow up attack, and she did so with confidence.
A wave swept across the battlefield as combatants realized the illusions hindering their attacks had fallen away. A series of coordinated attacks pushed things in the favor of the Order- and the reinforcements attacking from behind were pressuring their enemies. It didnt seem as if they would surrender, and that meant the battle would have to be won with yet more blood but Velvet was determined to make sure that most of it belonged to the Twin Soul Sect.
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Chapter 242
At the peak of the mountain, Elder Rana had switched away from concentrating on the concealing formation to the fortifying barrier around Grand Elder Vandale and the area around that where a different battle was happening.
While the Order would have dearly liked to have every Life Transformation expert available when provoking an enemy of indeterminate power, to properly pull off the deception they had to have some of them very publicly make appearances. That also included being far enough for the Twin Soul Sect to be comfortable that they wouldnt be around, and indeed they werent even rushing back.
With that said, Grand Elders Fodor, Zajoc, and Kseniya were present along with about half of the other Life Transformation members. The exact number of them around was never publicly available, but they had once had twenty. With some deaths at Black Soul Valley and some advancements due to recent events, they were at eighteen. Half had stayed while half had gone but more than that portion of Essence Collection cultivators stayed since they would be less carefully counted.
Their assistance in the battle was not strictly necessary for a victory, but with the reckless abandon of the assaulting cultivators, any additional firepower was a boon.
Kseniya clicked her tongue as she rained arrows on the fanatics. She could appreciate devotion to a good cause, but such overzealousness for a cause that only led to a net decrease in the status of the world was anything but. Everyone was equally motivated as them to defend the Order, though Kseniya hoped that their willingness to die wouldnt lead into the actuality of it. At least, not more than they had to.
A few brave Essence Collection cultivators had already died. Even the practical side of Elder Kseniya wasnt willing to say it was better that they perished than her. Any one of them could have grown to the same power as her, and she just happened to be older and more experienced than most. The emotional side of her was burning with fury and the practical side guided that fury to take advantage of every opening made by sacrifices, intentional or not.
She kept herself focused on the battle at hand, despite knowing her best disciple was just a short way to the south. She could glance over there and fire a few shots, sway the tide of battle. But every arrow was required where she was. A moment of distraction would allow her to fall deeper under the sway of illusion, instead of carefully tracking the real movements of her opponents.
Even when she lost track, she was building a prediction of how they would fight. A less practiced cultivator could easily fall into the trap of thinking they could predict their opponents, but Kseniya knew she could. And it was ever so easy to make slight adjustments to her shots at point blank range. Of course, the range she considered point blank was hundreds of meters, the outside of which was further than many cultivators' maximum ranges. But compared to Horizon Shot, everything else was like walking up to a target with her bow and stabbing it with an arrow.
One of the enemy Life Transformation cultivators was quite annoying. Cased from head to toe in armor that seemed extremely durable even in the normal weak points they took attacks with impunity. The armor was their weapon as well, so it was difficult to tell if they were planning to attack. Spikes stuck out at all angles, and they were quite capable of concealing exactly how much energy they concentrated at any one point. They could prepare to absorb an attack or stab a spike into someone with little indication of either.
Im going to move out, Velvet said. The others should be able to hold people off. If you have to let the formation drop, now is the time. Velvet didnt wait for more than a nod of acknowledgement before she disappeared. She could stand around for someone to approach, but she preferred a more proactive style. People got especially careless when they thought they were safe.
With that thought in her head, Velvet paused atop the walls, looking down into the many enemies below forcing their way into the compound. She took a few moments to check her thoughts. She knew the Twin Soul Sect projected illusions, and that they could do it for many people. The question was if they had to know someone was there. Then she nodded. She felt something. A tingling of difference. Certainly weaker than what would be affecting others, but enough to distort her perception enough. Less than half a step in any direction, but it would be the difference between a clean slash to the throat and a small nick or even a complete miss. The same was true for defensive actions in the other direction.
The other disciple seemed to be fighting their way through it, but they could use some help. Velvet couldnt just yell some encouraging words and break them out, but she could look for the key figures. Someone had to be the main point of the illusions. There were two possibilities. It might be the obvious one, the man standing in the middle protected by everyone. Or it could be the woman on the right end of the pack who didnt seem to be doing anything.
Ultimately Velvets decision was dictated not by surety, but by practicality. She wasnt confident in placing herself in the middle of a crowd of enemies. Even so, she thought it was slightly more likely that the less obvious target was correct. Unless it was a trick, but if she was going to consider psychology like that it might not be a trick but they could want her to think that. So she didnt waste more time thinking, and just decided to act.
She slipped down the wall slowly, hoping nobody would feel the disturbances her movements caused. It was impossible for a normal human to sense anything, and her presence was erased to the best of her abilities- but she was going up against experienced cultivators. Even if her Essence empowered her stealth, she had barely begun to mold it into shape, to let it grow. Knowing she was an up-and-coming genius could cause her to be cocky but instead she thought about Anton.
If she couldnt even surpass an admittedly exceptional grandpa, then she still had a lot to learn. But on the other hand, hed helped her develop her skills, and she would use them to their utmost.
Not a pebble or a blade of grass moved as Velvet slunk along the ground towards the side of the battle. As she approached she became ever more sure of her targets connection to the illusion as a whole. Perhaps her death wouldnt tear it apart, but it would take a moment or two for it to be brought back into place if she was taken out. A battlefield wide opening was something that had to be aimed for at all costs.
Velvet held her twin daggers. Even after all of Spirit Building she hadnt found weapons that were their equals, not that was being sold anyway. In Everhearts Tomb- on the moon- shed seen some daggers she would have liked to get ahold of, but they were in the hands of Life Transformation cultivators. Now that she was used to their asymmetry, Velvet would regret when she had to give them up.
But that time was still far away. For the moment, they were still quite functional. Velvet reached her target and her arms slashed across her chest, scissoring the blades together. She might not have the power to lop off someones head, but if she could damage either the throat or the spinal cord it was just as good. For a moment she saw no blood, as if she had completely missed. Then the illusion cracked and she knew she had aimed close enough to the real location. Her right dagger had actually struck her opponents chin, but there was a slash into the neck and bone from her left. Her blades had already been moving for a follow up attack, and she did so with confidence.
A wave swept across the battlefield as combatants realized the illusions hindering their attacks had fallen away. A series of coordinated attacks pushed things in the favor of the Order- and the reinforcements attacking from behind were pressuring their enemies. It didnt seem as if they would surrender, and that meant the battle would have to be won with yet more blood but Velvet was determined to make sure that most of it belonged to the Twin Soul Sect.
Chapter 242At the peak of the mountain, Elder Rana had switched away from concentrating on the concealing formation to the fortifying barrier around Grand Elder Vandale and the area around that where a different battle was happening. While the Order would have dearly liked to have every Life Transformation expert available when provoking an enemy of indeterminate power, to properly pull off the deception they had to have some of them very publicly make appearances. That also included being far enough for the Twin Soul Sect to be comfortable that they wouldnt be around, and indeed they werent even rushing back. With that said, Grand Elders Fodor, Zajoc, and Kseniya were present along with about half of the other Life Transformation members. The exact number of them around was never publicly available, but they had once had twenty. With some deaths at Black Soul Valley and some advancements due to recent events, they were at eighteen. Half had stayed while half had gone but more than that portion of Essence Collection cultivators stayed since they would be less carefully counted.Their assistance in the battle was not strictly necessary for a victory, but with the reckless abandon of the assaulting cultivators, any additional firepower was a boon.Kseniya clicked her tongue as she rained arrows on the fanatics. She could appreciate devotion to a good cause, but such overzealousness for a cause that only led to a net decrease in the status of the world was anything but. Everyone was equally motivated as them to defend the Order, though Kseniya hoped that their willingness to die wouldnt lead into the actuality of it. At least, not more than they had to.A few brave Essence Collection cultivators had already died. Even the practical side of Elder Kseniya wasnt willing to say it was better that they perished than her. Any one of them could have grown to the same power as her, and she just happened to be older and more experienced than most. The emotional side of her was burning with fury and the practical side guided that fury to take advantage of every opening made by sacrifices, intentional or not. She kept herself focused on the battle at hand, despite knowing her best disciple was just a short way to the south. She could glance over there and fire a few shots, sway the tide of battle. But every arrow was required where she was. A moment of distraction would allow her to fall deeper under the sway of illusion, instead of carefully tracking the real movements of her opponents.Even when she lost track, she was building a prediction of how they would fight. A less practiced cultivator could easily fall into the trap of thinking they could predict their opponents, but Kseniya knew she could. And it was ever so easy to make slight adjustments to her shots at point blank range. Of course, the range she considered point blank was hundreds of meters, the outside of which was further than many cultivators' maximum ranges. But compared to Horizon Shot, everything else was like walking up to a target with her bow and stabbing it with an arrow.One of the enemy Life Transformation cultivators was quite annoying. Cased from head to toe in armor that seemed extremely durable even in the normal weak points they took attacks with impunity. The armor was their weapon as well, so it was difficult to tell if they were planning to attack. Spikes stuck out at all angles, and they were quite capable of concealing exactly how much energy they concentrated at any one point. They could prepare to absorb an attack or stab a spike into someone with little indication of either.Im going to move out, Velvet said. The others should be able to hold people off. If you have to let the formation drop, now is the time. Velvet didnt wait for more than a nod of acknowledgement before she disappeared. She could stand around for someone to approach, but she preferred a more proactive style. People got especially careless when they thought they were safe. With that thought in her head, Velvet paused atop the walls, looking down into the many enemies below forcing their way into the compound. She took a few moments to check her thoughts. She knew the Twin Soul Sect projected illusions, and that they could do it for many people. The question was if they had to know someone was there. Then she nodded. She felt something. A tingling of difference. Certainly weaker than what would be affecting others, but enough to distort her perception enough. Less than half a step in any direction, but it would be the difference between a clean slash to the throat and a small nick or even a complete miss. The same was true for defensive actions in the other direction.The other disciple seemed to be fighting their way through it, but they could use some help. Velvet couldnt just yell some encouraging words and break them out, but she could look for the key figures. Someone had to be the main point of the illusions. There were two possibilities. It might be the obvious one, the man standing in the middle protected by everyone. Or it could be the woman on the right end of the pack who didnt seem to be doing anything. Ultimately Velvets decision was dictated not by surety, but by practicality. She wasnt confident in placing herself in the middle of a crowd of enemies. Even so, she thought it was slightly more likely that the less obvious target was correct. Unless it was a trick, but if she was going to consider psychology like that it might not be a trick but they could want her to think that. So she didnt waste more time thinking, and just decided to act.She slipped down the wall slowly, hoping nobody would feel the disturbances her movements caused. It was impossible for a normal human to sense anything, and her presence was erased to the best of her abilities- but she was going up against experienced cultivators. Even if her Essence empowered her stealth, she had barely begun to mold it into shape, to let it grow. Knowing she was an up-and-coming genius could cause her to be cocky but instead she thought about Anton.If she couldnt even surpass an admittedly exceptional grandpa, then she still had a lot to learn. But on the other hand, hed helped her develop her skills, and she would use them to their utmost.Not a pebble or a blade of grass moved as Velvet slunk along the ground towards the side of the battle. As she approached she became ever more sure of her targets connection to the illusion as a whole. Perhaps her death wouldnt tear it apart, but it would take a moment or two for it to be brought back into place if she was taken out. A battlefield wide opening was something that had to be aimed for at all costs.Velvet held her twin daggers. Even after all of Spirit Building she hadnt found weapons that were their equals, not that was being sold anyway. In Everhearts Tomb- on the moon- shed seen some daggers she would have liked to get ahold of, but they were in the hands of Life Transformation cultivators. Now that she was used to their asymmetry, Velvet would regret when she had to give them up.But that time was still far away. For the moment, they were still quite functional. Velvet reached her target and her arms slashed across her chest, scissoring the blades together. She might not have the power to lop off someones head, but if she could damage either the throat or the spinal cord it was just as good. For a moment she saw no blood, as if she had completely missed. Then the illusion cracked and she knew she had aimed close enough to the real location. Her right dagger had actually struck her opponents chin, but there was a slash into the neck and bone from her left. Her blades had already been moving for a follow up attack, and she did so with confidence.A wave swept across the battlefield as combatants realized the illusions hindering their attacks had fallen away. A series of coordinated attacks pushed things in the favor of the Order- and the reinforcements attacking from behind were pressuring their enemies. It didnt seem as if they would surrender, and that meant the battle would have to be won with yet more blood but Velvet was determined to make sure that most of it belonged to the Twin Soul Sect.
